Serra Gaúcha is a Brazilian wine region in the Southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, where Brazil meets Uruguay. Its name is apt: the landscape here is characterized by low mountain ranges (serras) and populated by gaúchos, the cowboys of the Brazilian Pampas.
Small landholdings of just a few hectares are the norm in Serra Gacúha, which makes co-operative winemaking almost a necessity. The cost of buying and maintaining winemaking equipment is considerable, so local vignerons pool their resources and invest in shared, co-operative wineries.
It was through similar collaborative efforts that a group of Serra Gaúcha winemakers successfully campaigned for the creation of Vale do Vinhedos DO, Brazil's first wine appellation. With the infamous Bento Goncalves at the heart, Serra Gaúcha is considered the wine capital region of Brazil and is responsible for 80 percent of the entire country's production of wine.
Serra Gaúcha's Terroir is characterized by the region's altitude and latitude, while the local culture is tangibly influenced by the immigrant populations from Germany and Italy. Porto Alegre is the state capital and is, as its name impLies, a harbor town.
It lies at the eastern edge of the Serra Gaúcha winelands, and from there the land rises from sea level to more than 2,500 feet (760m) at Caixas do Sul, the state's second city and local wine capital. The altitude and mountainous topography here are vital to the area's suitability for viticulture, providing cooling temperatures to create a longer growing season and higher acid retention. Soil type of the region is also attributed to the altitude with viticulture predominantly found planted in pockets of volcanic basalt that is high in nutrients.
The local cuisine and architecture show significant Italian influences, and Italy is largely to thank for the birth of effective viticulture here in the late 19th Century.
Originally from Bordeaux, Sauvignon, or Sauvignon Blanc, is reputed to be one of the best French grape varieties for white wine. It is a white grape variety, not to be confused with Sauvignon Gris and its pale yellow color, or with Cabernet Sauvignon which produces red wines. Particularly famous thanks to Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc is cultivated as far as New Zealand, where it produces great wines whose reputation is well established.
white wines from the region of Serra Gaúcha go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or vegetarian such as recipes of delicious marinated pork chops, round zucchini stuffed with tuna or vegan leek and tofu quiche.
On the nose in the region of Serra Gaúcha often reveals types of flavors of citrus fruit, microbio or oak and sometimes also flavors of tree fruit, tropical fruit. In the mouth in the region of Serra Gaúcha is a with a nice freshness.
The project was devised by FIS president Franco Maria Ricci and officially unveiled last week in Rome at the Foundation’s latest annual International Wine Culture Forum. ‘About four months ago I thought we should do some proper experiments to understand what happens to wine and vines in space. Eventually, I decided that this year’s FIS Forum had to be dedicated entirely to this subject,’ Ricci told Decanter. ‘My idea would be to understand if the vine can live and survive in space (and eve ...
It’s expected the Burgundy 2022 harvest will be bigger than the region’s five-year average, France’s agriculture ministry said this month, also noting the healthy state of vineyards in the area. Final figures on yields are not yet available, but suggestions the 2022 harvest could represent a rebound from the historically low 2021 crop could be welcome among wine lovers and producers alike. This week, it was also announced that the 162nd Hospices de Beaune auction, co-hosted by ...
The Napa Valley 2022 harvest got underway in early August for some sparkling and white wine styles. ‘We had our earliest harvest ever, and started picking Sauvignon Blanc on Monday 1 August,’ said Stephanie Honig, of Honig Vineyard and Winery. ‘The fruit came from our grower partner Gordon Family Ranch, which is located in the southeast area of the Napa Valley appellation,’ said Honig, who is export director at the family-owned winery. Harvest typically begins with older ...
